Coach: UCF now leader for transfer RB Brinson

Former St. Petersburg Northeast running back Jeff Brinson, who is transferring after two years at Iowa, has seen less interest from USF coaches and now has Central Florida as his top choice, according to the high school coach handling his recruitment.

"I would say he's very excited, and (UCF) is very interested," said Ken Crawford, a former Northeast assistant coach who now is on the staff at Pinellas Park. "It's going to come down to compliance."

Brinson is hopeful of landing a hardship waiver (due to a family illness) that would allow him to play this fall (with three years of eligibility) instead of having to sit out the season as most Division I-A transfers do. He met with USF's coaches back in March, but Crawford said the Bulls "showed early interest but have fallen off a little" in communications with Brinson.

He has since visited Central Florida, which already has a standout back from Pinellas County in Largo's Brynn Harvey, who rushed for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore last fall. Crawford said UCF is looking into Brinson's paperwork to evaluate the viability of a hardship waiver. Brinson also has talked with coaches from Florida International, Bethune-Cookman and South Alabama, where former USF assistant Greg Gregory is the offensive coordinator.

Brinson was eager enough to be closer to his family that if USF offered him a scholarship, the Bulls could have had gotten him this summer. If they've cooled on him, that would suggest they're pleased with their options at running back, even with Mike Ford dismissed, Lindsey Lamar moving to receiver and Jamar Taylor in limbo academically. Senior Mo Plancher and sophomore Demetris Murray came out of spring drills as the Bulls' top two running backs.

-- Marvin Kloss, the kicker from Naples who had accepted an offer to be a preferred walk-on at USF this fall, said he met with USF's coaches on Tuesday and plans to enroll at USF next month.

Kloss was arrested in March and initially charged with felony grand theft, though that charge has since been reduced to misdemeanor petit theft. Kloss said Wednesday he has applied for a pre-trial intervention program for first-time offenders that would allow for the charge to be dropped if he completes the program, which typically involves community service, court costs and a short probationary period.

Asked if USF's coaches had apprehension because of the arrest, Kloss said that coach Skip Holtz had told him he needed to speak with athletic director Doug Woolard about the matter, but that he's planning on enrolling for the Summer B semester with the rest of USF football's incoming freshmen.

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